SoundGirls.org: There has been some discussion recently on the topic of should you work for free? I often say to those looking to get into touring that they should try to get on a tour for the experience or ask if they can help someone who is doing the job they want to do. More times than not, when you are in a position of limited knowledge but have lots of enthusiasm to learn, you are not going to get paid for offering your services.
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I wasn't expecting to agree with them, but I completely do! I think working for free for someone can be a good experience if you are in the position to do so and you think the information and experience gained will be worth it. Im glad they acknowledged that it is a privilege to be able to not have to work for money and it shouldn't be seen as something you do right out of collage because its your only option. I think those companies whose entire staff are interns are terrible and I agree with David when he said we should work for free if we are essential to a production running. I would only consider doing something like this if I could shadow a very successful set designer or work for a company that I hope to gain employment with. Networking is everything, but you don't have to work for free to become successful. Whether we qait for a paid positionor agree to work for free- its an individual choice that will work for some but not for others."Whatever is comfortable for you. It doesn’t mean you won’t get to where you want to be."
The idea of working for free just doesn't sit right with me anymore. I know there's a fine line to walk between feeling entitled and wanting income, but perhaps outside of high school internships, if someone does good work and brings benefit to a company, they should be paid. I had the opportunity to be an 'apprentice' for a safely produced and attended outdoor show/concert in my hometown over break, and the idea was that I could shadow the lighting department for the tech & dress rehearsals, and also the show. I went there the first night (after having travel 45 minutes to wait in line for an hour for a rapid covid test) and did not come back the next. I ended up doing nearly the same work that the paid overhire electricians/lighting technicians did, for an hour long than was anticipated, and it just didn't sit right in my chest that the hours were going to be so greatly expanded over the original estimate for the coming days as well. I appreciate experience and learning, but if I am going to be doing tangible, helpful work for a company I would like to be paid for my time.
I’m not sure I quite agree with this article. While on one hand, gaining experience is really valuable and can help build your career going forward, working for free simply is not an option for some thus creating a potential and very real barrier for those looking to work in the entertainment industry. Knowledge and money are both valuable but in very, very different ways. The way our world is set up, you simply cannot live without a source of income. From food, to shelter, clothes, insurance, medical treatment, the list goes on– I think that any entry-level, apprentice, internship, etc position should be paid at least a minimum wage. If that is work the project cannot do without then the people being hired to do it should be paid. Knowledge and experience is incredibly important, don’t get me wrong. But it holds a very different purpose in life than income.
While I appreciate a lot of what the article is saying, I disagree with the conclusion. I do think getting your foot in the door is very important, and it’s absolutely true that most people find work in this industry through connections, I don’t think the benefits outweigh the cost. Firstly, when you are working for free, or in exchange for knowledge, you are gaining something that has no cost a company on a spreadsheet, and you are in fact devaluing your labor. You may think you’re getting a lot out of it, especially if you are just starting out and learning a lot, but as far as whatever company you are working for goes, they are getting something for nothing. This not only devalues, it devalues your job doing. Now this company sees that the labor can be done for free and that hurts everyone else in the industry, especially those who can’t work for free. Secondly, these companies budget for inefficient workers. As someone who got his start in live corporate events I had no idea what I was doing, but I could follow instructions so I could do a job, get paid for it and learn on the job. Every company should be able to do this, and there is no reason to work for free.
When I first read the title of this article, my initial immediate thought was “No of course not. Why would I do that?” However, after reading the entire article it does make sense. Many internships are unpaid, and they give the intern a chance to learn what the real world is like and what day-to-day life would be like in that particular industry. But at the same time, I think it depends on your situation. Setting aside 6 months of living expenses to go and work for free on a tour of something simply may not be feasible for many people. I suppose it would be better to learn for free than to pay thousands of dollars and a college or university, and in the long run, working for free could open several paying opportunities for you in the future but working for free just doesn’t feel that comfortable for me. Gaining experience is obviously a great way to get your name out in the industry and make new connections, but I’m not sure I agree with this specific way to do so.
This author makes an interesting argument that is contrary to my gut reaction. It’s true that working for free devalues you, but it also devalues the industry because organizations can get away with paying two interns nothing instead of hiring a full time professional, so there’s certainly an issue there. Saving up money early also has few problems. In this day and age when 63% of americans are living paycheck to paycheck, I’m sure it’s difficult for the average person to save up six months worth of living expenses. The tour could at least cover room and board. Additionally, in many industries, apprenticeships are paid, but the big problem in entertainment with standardizing apprenticeships is that most people are contractual workers. My understanding is If you go to school to be an electrician, you then join the union and are an apprentice for a few years, and then you get to become a journeyman etc. The organization is banking that you will be worth more down the road and they are paying you up front with the impression that you’re not going to up and leave. Hard to guarantee with contractual workers.
I think the claims this article is making is very interesting and good points. I think that building experience and learning is necessary to get hired. However, I think the expectation of free labor limits many people's ability to get into the industry. I think that internships across the board, not just theater should be paid minimum wage at the very least. I have done a decent amount of free theatrical work and while I have gained invaluable experience from it, it was hard to work for nothing especially if I had to take time off from my paying job. I personally think that maybe when one is in high school or maybe maybe early college working for free is ok in small amounts but I think ultimately everyone should be paid at least a livable wage. The industry is already so inaccessible and the expectation of free labor makes it even more.
Before I even read the article, I’m going to say No. Period. Work is work, and in this economy, money’s value is equated to the work that you do. As somebody who’s worked since fourteen, I would never agree to do work that somebody else is getting paid to do.
Okay… now I’ll read. I see what the author is saying. Honestly, I think this is something stemming from much more than a company looking for workers looking for experience. The system in which we are in, one where you have to have a certain amount of education to work and specific work pays more than others and money equals comfortable living which in turn might mean happiness… it’s all too long of a train. If unskilled workers weren’t so hung out to dry for money, rung out, broke, working for “experience” isn’t as bad as it would be in the society we’re in today.
I partially agree with what this article is saying. Although you should not get paid for
learning how to do a job (similar to how we do not get paid to go to school) some people in the sound and theatre world have a lot of knowledge already (because there is no actual degree or certification to tell people you know how to work a soundboard) to do the job but they might not have any practical experience they could put on a resume or any connections to get them a job. This would then lead you right back to needing to go on a tour for free to create connections. So maybe it is good to do one tour for free so you know if you would enjoy the lifestyle or not? Hopefully they would pay for some of your expenses though if you are going to be an extra set of hands. I do think that if they are having you do menial work you should be paid for it but when you are ‘shadowing’ a specific person that time you should not get paid for.
While the article does make a point about how you are exchanging your help for the opportunity to learn, I still can’t agree with the practice of unpaid jobs and internships. This practice only reinforces the racial wealth gap that we are working to close. The author states that you should do this free work at the start of your career “when you are in the position to do so.” The problem with this is that many people can’t just save up for six months to not get paid a portion of the year no matter how much experience they will get. People have to eat, pay bills, pay off debts (especially college), and support their families. This is actually one of the points brought up by We See You White American Theatre because it is directly affecting BIPOC artists and crew. It’s not fair to receive no compensation because you are still learning. Interns are still offering their time, help, and skills that will ultimately benefit the production.
I think this is the saddest part about the pandemic... "Learning from a book or a course is great and the more knowledge you have going into it... However, for a job like this (on tour), there is no substitute for going and doing the real thing." I guess this is me complaining but "Zoom ain't it" I say that a lot because it's true. I try to say as optimistic about the situation we find ourselves in but at the same time it is hard to stay motivated in the online environment we find ourselves in as theater artists and technicians. I like her perspective on the fact that not getting paid doesn't devalue you! I'll say that going to CMU and paying for Zoom theater and work for free (aka paying tuition to do labor) is hard to justify sometimes but then again that is me just being honest and complaining :) I think that it is crucial to find opportunities to learn! I mean that's why we are all at CMU right? It's hard to find a balance between getting paid, paying for education, and finding the right experience that gets you to a job that you enjoy and love. It's a hard game to play (enjoying life and getting paid) just make sure you're working towards something that you're passionate about and makes you happy or else the work isn't worth it.
While I love that this article is promoting learning and finding connections in this industry, I simply cannot agree with the idea that unpaid internships are okay. I think America needs to move towards talking about our salaries with coworkers and talking about just how problematic unpaid internships are. Both of these are tools to pull up white people who have generational wealth behind them and are capable of not having a paying job for 6 months just to "learn". These unpaid internships just become low paying gigs after your done with your internship experience and you hear "better something than nothing". I think the idea of having to accept unpaid internships is what pushes BIPOC, specifically low income BIPOC, out of the industry and allows it to be ruled by rich white people. I agree that the industry is all about connections however people that are paying for college are paying for knowledge and connections so to hear that you have to pour money into your education only to have to work for free to learn what you should have learned in school turns away people who simply need money to survive. Ultimately I think volunteer opportunities are a great way to gain experience however unpaid internships exploit workers and allow the industry to gain money without having to pay anyone.
I have very mixed feelings about the conclusion drawn in this article that we should be willing to work for free to gain experience. While I do agree that doing this sometimes can be very beneficial for gaining skills that aren't reasonably acquirable in any other way, but it shouldn't be something we are required to do to excel and grow. I also don't believe that a company should let you work for free for an extended period (I'm pretty sure her example was 6 months of unpaid work) because it's impractical for a person to have saved so much or have time for another paid job to sustain themselves. Especially when they're young, probably just out of college or another school, and in debt. I think if you want to work for a company unpaid then what you do and for how long should be up to you. They can't expect you to be there all day every day working as many hours as the people that get paid to do it. There should be flexibility because, in my opinion, you're kind of doing them a service. Personally, I don't mind working unpaid if it's in the short term, especially if it's something I'm not super familiar with, because I feel bad getting paid for something I'm not yet super competent in. But still, I don't think it's reasonable to tell inexperienced people in the field that working for a long time unpaid is probably their best bet at getting experience. Even if it may be true, that's not an environment we should be fostering.
I think this is the saddest part about the pandemic... "Learning from a book or a course is great and the more knowledge you have going into it... However, for a job like this (on tour), there is no substitute for going and doing the real thing." I guess this is me complaining but "Zoom ain't it" I say that a lot because it's true. I try to say as optimistic about the situation we find ourselves in but at the same time it is hard to stay motivated in the online environment we find ourselves in as theater artists and technicians. I like her perspective on the fact that not getting paid doesn't devalue you! I'll say that going to CMU and paying for Zoom theater and work for free (aka paying tuition to do labor) is hard to justify sometimes but then again that is me just being honest and complaining :) I think that it is crucial to find opportunities to learn! I mean that's why we are all at CMU right? It's hard to find a balance between getting paid, paying for education, and finding the right experience that gets you to a job that you enjoy and love. It's a hard game to play just make sure you're working towards something that you're passionate about and makes you happy or else the work isn't worth it.
I remember reading about this and discussing it. I think that you can learn from every experience (paid or unpaid) But at some point you need to know whether they are taking advatage of your labor and time (you have to weigh the pros and cons)
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